3 PH films in Belgium for MOOOV Film Fest

The works of Mikhail Red, Kohki Hasei, and Lav Diaz will grace cinemas in Bruges and Turnhout, Belguim for their annual MOOOV Film Festival, happening from April 18 to May 2.

Mikhail Red’s Bird Shot is described by the organizers of MOOOV as “a well-structured and highly detailed film.” The movie was inspired by a newspaper article man shooting a Philippine Eagle in 2008 and events from the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre.

Newbie Japanese Director Kohki Hasei’s Blanka, on the other hand, is the story of a young girl from Manila who has big dreams yet lives in complete poverty. Elizabeth Kerr of The Hollywood Reporter said “Blanka is a drama about family and choice, but there’s something sweet and hopeful about Blanka, that feels like a sliver of joy amid the misery rather than a naive urban fantasy.”

Lav Diaz’ The Woman Who Left is a movie that needs no introduction. The award-winning film has been shown in several film festivals across the world and has garnered some of the highest awards, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. MOOOV organizers describe it as an “intoxicating and hypnotic viewing experience in beautiful black and white photography.”

The MOOOV Film Festival is known for showing films and documentaries from all over the world that feature relevant themes such as women empowerment, poverty, and ecological concerns. It started in 2013 after the merger between Turnhout’s Open Doek Film Festival and Cinema Novo in Bruges.